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Why water cooler whining is contagious

If you think water cooler grumbling between co-workers is harmless, reconsider.

According to psychologists at the University of Hawaii, your colleague’s lousy attitude is infectious and can spread quickly through an entire workplace if unchecked.

“People can pick up an emotion and share that emotion without being aware of why they think or feel that way,” says Cherie Luckhurst, a professor of social psychology at the University of Hawaii. “That’s the part that’s really amazing. People are so unaware.”

In offices and other settings where co-operation is paramount, immunity to negative emotions might be useful, but Luckhurst says it’s counter-evolutionary.

Instead, mammals reflexively mimic the emotions of their peers.

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If one of a group of apes, for example, senses danger and cries out in fear, the feeling will spread quickly, raising the overall level of alertness and keeping the entire group safe.

“It helps people protect themselves and their communities from outside influences,” Luckhurst says. “It’s an evolutionary adaptation in that way.”

While you can’t immunize yourself against a colleague’s grumpy moods, there is some good news: Positive emotions are just as contagious as negative ones.

If you feel a negative mood sweeping through your home, classroom or workplace, you can prevent a pandemic by making a conscious choice to remain upbeat.

“You have to be aware of it first,” she said. “That’s the lynchpin. People usually aren’t aware of it. They just succumb to it and don’t consciously address it.”

First advanced by psychology professor Elaine Hatfield more than 20 years ago, the idea that emotions can spread like a virus has gained new momentum with the recent publication of the report “Emotional Contagion,” co-authored with professors from Hawaii and Ohio State University.

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